Windows, doors, partitions, and other structures having controllable light modulation have been gaining popularity in the marketplace. These structures are commonly referred to as “smart” structures or “privacy” structures for their ability to transform from a transparent state in which a user can see through the structure to a private state in which viewing is inhibited through the structure. For example, smart windows are being used in high-end automobiles and homes and smart partitions are being used as walls in office spaces to provide controlled privacy and visual darkening.
A variety of different technologies can be used to provide controlled optical transmission for a smart structure. For example, electrochromic technologies, photochromic technologies, thermochromic technologies, suspended particle technologies, and liquid crystal technologies are all being used in different smart structure applications to provide controllable privacy. The technologies generally use an energy source, such as electricity, to transform from a transparent state to a privacy state or vice versa.
While privacy technology is gaining popularity, there are still practical challenges to successful implementation of the technology. For example, if the material used to impart controllable privacy is not uniformly applied across the privacy structure, pockets or regions may form that are comparatively darker or comparatively lighter than the remainder of the structure when transitioned into the privacy state. This can create an undesirable visual appearance and inconsistent privacy shielding across the structure. As another example, if the hardware components needed to transform a standard window or door structure into a privacy glazing structure are too heavy, a manufacturer of window and door products may not be able to readily utilize such privacy glazing structures on existing product lines. Rather, special product designs may be required to accommodate the size and weight of the privacy structure, which may be more difficult to implement and find less market acceptance than more standard designs.